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S. W. PALMER AND J. F. PALMER, OF AUBURN, NEW' YORK, ASSIGNORS TO S. W.PALMER, N. PALMER, AND JOI-IN PATTY, OF SAME PLACE.

CLOTHES-FRAME.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 25,868, dated October 18, 1859.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, S. W. PALMER and J. F. PALMER, of Auburn, in thecounty of Cayuga and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Clothes-Frames; and we do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the constructionand operation of the same, reference being had yto the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l, represents a longitudinal verticalsection, through said clothes frame. Figs. 2, 3, if, and 5, representdetached views to be hereafter described.

Our invention pertains to that class of clothes frames, which are hungto a center shaft, on which they can be raised or lowered, and the armsof which can be expanded or folded up at pleasure, and relates to thedevices by means of which said frame may be expanded and raised on itscenter shaft, and be retained thereon in its expanded position, and alsorelates to the peculiar manner of hinging the arms to the sliding hubsof the frame.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, wewill proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, represents the center shaft of the frame; B, represents the arms towhich the clothes lines are attached, and C, represents the clotheslines.

D, represents hinged arms or braces, which are pivoted at b, to the armsB, and which tend to keep the latter in their proper positions. Theinner ends of the arms B, and D, are respectively hinged to the slidinghubs E, and a, which can be moved at pleasure over the shaft A. Thesehubs are formed at their peripheries with hook shaped lugs c, of theform represented in Figs. l, and 5, which serve as the bearings of thepins CZ, of the arms B, and D, the exact shape of the end pieces ofthese arms is represented in Fig. 5; the end is rounded off in the lineof a circle, which has the point CZ, as its center, and which touchesthe outer periphery of the hub, thus keeping the pin d, within the lugs,and preventing it from slipping through their openings. When the arm isto be attached to the hub, it is placed in the position shown in redlines in Fig. 5, when the pins CZ, can be readily entered through theopenings of the lugs, and by then turning the arm to the position shownin black lilies, the pins d cannot escape through the openings of thelugs owing to the eccentric form of the ends of the arms and thus makinga good and strong hinge whichpermits the arms to be attached or detachedwith the greatest facility while they are perfectly secure againstdisplacement from any ordinary cause.

F, represents a catch ring; it is of the shape represented in F 3, theinner diameter of which is somewhat larger than the diameter of theshaft A; this catch ring, when slipped over said shaft will drop intoone of the circumferential groovesl g, and will be held therein by theaction of the spring 7L, which presses on the shaft A; the hub E, issupported by this catch ring, resting thereon by means of its extendedflange s, and thus the frame is held in any of its adjusted positions;the catch ring can be seleased by pressing on the thumb-piece c', whenit will glide over the shaft.

rlhe hoisting apparatus consists of two clutch rings 7c, and m, whichare retained in their positions on the shaft A, by means of the springso, their inner diameters are somewhat larger than the diameter of theshaft A, and therefore when. pressed by the springs their positions areinclined; they are connected together by means of a hinged lever 29, andlink g, in the manner represented in Figs. l, and 2, and their operationis as follows: Vhen the end of the lever p, is raised, the clutch ringm, is raised with it, while the ring 7c, is kept stationary; on thendepressing the lever 29, the ring m., is held in its position by thespring 0, while the ring 7c, is raised, and thus by operating the leverp, on its fulcrum r, the clutch rings are raised alternately, and whenthe flange s, of the hub E, rests on the projection t, of the ring 7c,the entire frame will be raised by operating the lever p. The clutchrings can be slipped with ease over the shaft A, by pressing on thethumb pieces u, whereby the springs 0, are compressed.

The operation of the entire apparatus is as follows: The expanded framewith its clothes lines is adjusted to such a position on the shaft A, asis most convenient for hanging the clothes on the lines, and it is heldin this position by means of the catch ring F, which is sprung into oneof the grooves g; when the clothes are hung to the lines, the catch ringis released, and the lever p, may be operated until the hub a, ispressed against the head H, of the shaft A, whereby the arms areexpanded to their fullest extent, and in this position the catch ring F,is sprung into its groove g by the action' of the spring L, and theapparatus is thus retained in its expanded position.

The advantage of these open hinges consists in the facility with whichthe frame may be set up or taken down, as with the exception of the pinsb, there are no pieces or parts to be removed or inserted, they beingpermanently iXed in their places. The braces cannot by any sudden risingor turning around on the central shaft, be thrown out of their places.

The openings in the hooks c may be on top instead of underneath andelect the same purpose. The ring F, is somewhat oval in its formthat isone of its diameters is small enough to hug the post or its groovessnugly, while the other diameter is large enough to allow it to slipover the post freely when being slid up or down thereon.

Having thus fully described the nature of our invention, what we claimtherein as new2 and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s 1. alingingthe arms 0f a clothes frame to the sliding hubs, by means of the pins d,which are supported by the open lugs c, when said arms are constructed,and the several parts arranged, substantially in the manner, and for thepurpose described.

2. XVe also claim in Combination with the shaft and its grooves thesliding catch ring F, with its spring 72 and projection z', forretaining the frame in its position, substantially as described.

3. 7e also claim in combination with the central post or shaft, andsliding frame, the hoisting apparatus, consisting of the clutch rings7c, and m, with their springs 0, lever p, and link g, substantially inthe manner, and for the purpose described.

S. WV. PALMER. J.'F. PALMER.

Vtnesses:

HORACE J. Coon, S. R. SNYDER.

